We’re back on “the GOOD ask” where we break down common questions that businesses ask us about their company’s philanthropy. Lori Munoz Malcolm, the founder of HeartPress #BrokersOfGood will be continuing with Employee Volunteer Programs (EVP) this week, answering: “How do you start an Employee Volunteer Program?” Check out her answer below!
Q. “How do you start an Employee Volunteer Program?”
Set up guidelines – simple is best, but there are a few things to think through. How many volunteer days are there per year? Do you have staff that work opposite schedules? Are you integrating company wide volunteer events or small group volunteering? Or just individual employee days? When you are figuring out procedures and protocols— remember what we said earlier, if you are just starting out:
“simple is best”
Figure out how staff want to volunteer – Create a program that includes the various skills and passions of the employees. Is this an opportunity for employees to build leadership skills outside of their regular roles? Or is this an opportunity for teams that typically don’t work together – to come together in a volunteer capacity?
Set Goals – Start with small goals to set yourself up for success. There are companies out there that offer unlimited number of paid days to volunteer. This is not a measure for your first year – or even in the first 5 years of the program. Remember, start small and be realistic about your expectations of participation rates.
Make sure everyone is on the same page – Employee Volunteer Programs are not about counting the hours — it’s about the investment into the company culture and the investment back into the community.
“It’s not about the number of hours spent away from their desk.”
As always, that was just a quick answer for today and if you have some questions, reach out and ask us!
If you haven’t seen it already, don’t forget to check out our last episode where we answer “Why Have an Employee Volunteer Program?”
Are you ready to start an Employee Volunteer Program? Check out our ENGAGING Partner Plan or email us about our EVP Toolkit to find out more about how we can help you engage with your employees using your own EVP.
